Ok. Since my new reality it carrying dirt. Has anyone used = Wal Mart play sand for or to replace peet moss or other wet weather material? I have used peet moss in the past. Did care for it. THIS Wal Mart play sand is not like the sand I find on road. It seams to take less of it per set ?? It packs better. I can glaze it in well for on coming heavy rain. Then use the dry top 1/8 of inch of topp soil over it. And glaze in again. Only con is = it has small match stick head size peddles in it ? Not a problem for me with Sterling MJ 600. Its gone fire. Just look for future wet weather proof sets. Anyone else use = Wal Mart play sand???? Caught 2 coyotes with it so far

I use it and cut it 50/50 with the peetmoss. I found that straight sand when wet is really heavy and slowed the trap speed a good bit. The 50/50 mix solved that problem. It also added color to the sand so it matched better. I trap in a river bottom with white clay and if it’s wet and you auger a hole over 6 inches deep it fills with water. I have to bring in all my own dirt. I top with mulched leave’s and top soil. Just enough to blend.

Never tried the Walmart sand. I used the peat also, I am with you. Don't care for it. When I can find an empty ant bed I will scoop up some to take with me and will mix it with some local sand. Just so happened today i was looking thru the archives and seen some info on ant hill dirt. Just as sure as i go set a few traps here it is gonna rain.

Steeltraps,

Just curious as to why you do not care for peat moss?
Bedding issues, some avoidance etc.?
Thanks

Mac

Because of 70 inch of rain a year ! LoL! Mac. Where I was at when I was using it was and still does hold water super wet. Peat Moss beded fine and has no avoidance. Where i was at = it seam to float the peat moss out no matter how i packed it

I used some in West Texas. Worked very well

Sharkhunter. I dont think wet sand will slow a MJ 600 to bad. And O pack it very tight on my traps. But Im just look for a new way to improve things. Never stop learning. Trying to build a better mouse trap.

This sounds crazy but when I find “good” dirt I sift it in an old corn bag. I mean any dirt and sand. Heck I’ve even gone to our public works while the guys were out there working and asked if I could get a bag or so.
I’ll only fill up a little over half full. On sunny hot days I’ll set the entire bag in the sun with the opening facing the sun as that time. Whenever I’m out or walk past it I’ll give it a good shake. Within a day it’s great dried dirt.
The only reason I mix it is some dirt will turn almost into powder when it dries completely. The sand mixed in really helps and gives it a lighter color.
Don’t remember who posted something about it last year, but I started doing it and it makes a huge difference with the rains we’ve been getting.

Editing to add that I don’t set near as many sets as you probably do so it might pay for you to buy yours based on the number of jobs you have. 4-5 bags can last me a year. And that all depends on how much rain we get. I’ve even found it keeps the trap from cementing in clay when we get rain and then nothing for a week or so and that clay hardens.

Steeltraps, you’re probably 100% right. When I was noticing a slowing of the speed it was with the #3 Duke 2 coil. Not the same animal at all. Wish I had a couple dozen of those MJ600s

Wanna Be. One reason I picked Wal Mart play sand is = Wal Marts are everywhere. I may do up to four - 14 day jobs in a row. So bring dirt from home or job to job is an issue = i only have so much room. So jobs have old dry barns. Barn dirt works OK but its fine dirt So i though Wal Mart sand would also be good and easy to get on thw way or aftee OR have Land manager or biologist have their help go pick up for me

Sharkhunter. One of my friends has = K9 Extreme trap. I have set them here and in West Texas. Its a powerful trap. My friend in Alabama got them because MB 550 we’re not working for him in Gumbo mud

Steeltraps wrote "Because of 70 inch of rain a year ! LoL! Mac. Where I was at when I was using it was and still does hold water super wet. Peat Moss beded fine and has no avoidance. Where i was at = it seam to float the peat moss out no matter how i packed it"

Thanks for the response.

Mac

I know guys who use it waxed, Home Depot also sells sand that a lot of guys buy and wax. I don't use it mainly for the weight factor, plus I'm cheap,lol. But most of them that use it waxed like it, so I would assume it would work fine unwaxed in areas where it doesn't freeze. Sand beds like a dream.

I bought a few bags of playground sand one real wet winter for top dressing and blending coal shale as there was NO dry anything to be had out there.

Was not a fan of it. The stuff I got (Home Depot I think) was very coarse. Almost like fine gravel.

Unless you’re worried about freezing, I’d just try to steal loose dirt anywhere I find it.

I rob a lot of pocket gopher mounds in the summer for mine. Don’t really care if it’s dry. Just needs to be loose and workable.

It does pack very well. I have no problem with it firing wet. So far so good. As I said before. I like the fact It could be picked up for me from Wal mart.

Boone. The biggest thing is = I dont have time to hunt down dirt. I have gotten so busy. That I can get any of time. I love catching coyotes everyday but sometimes I get tires of living out of a duffle bag and moving from place to place like a gypsee. LOL!! I just need a better way of keep traps working threw extreme rain.

ST , one thing to be aware of with the coarse play sand is the pebbles can lodge where the jaw contact points come together thus increasing the offset. Especially with 1/4 offsets. I had several pullouts for that reason when I used it. Better off to use fine sand...

Thanks Gbus. You maybe correct I have several set out with play sand quess we will see. I did thing these tiny pebbles looked that big. I have been = because of rain sift it in then glazing it in. My thoughts? Small pebbles get push in side of jaws. Then more dirt. Glaze again. Its a lot more work but is alot more durible in rain. So far

ST, here is some fine grain sand that looks like it would blend well.



It doesn’t have the small pebbles others were talking about.

Home Depot carries it.

Thanks. Have some similar. Wal Mart. Almost same bag. Using barn dirt now. Fixing to post up pics